1. Be in present moment with whoever you are with. Limit glancing around room. It’s a sign that you are looking for something better. There is nothing worse than having a conversation with someone who is half there.

2. Being on time. This sounds so commonsensical. The percentage of people being late is over 65 percent. Don't push your time to last minute before leaving office so you will be late. Take some reading or work with you, arrive early, sit in lobby, and work. Or give yourself some space to think over how you want to approach time together. You introduction, tone, style, or even plan a quick get away if union isn't working. The memory implant of your lateness will always override any request for forgiveness.

3. Turn off your cell phone before entering restaurant. No one around you wants to hear your conversation. Even if you let it ring, pick it up and then take it outside. Did you leave your lunch companion alone? This is just plain rude. If you have an "I don't care attitude" about this, I'll tell you a story about a lunch guest of mine who did this and three prospects she was meeting didn't even sit down. They saw her talk, she waved a 1-minute finger single to them, and they turned around and walked out. They wouldn't even answer her phone calls or emails afterwards.

4. If you are woman and this is business, it’s appropriate now to stand up and shake hand of a male. This overrides old rule of staying seated. If meeting is for your spouse’s business and you are coming along because other spouses are coming, then you stay seated as your spouse stands up. This rules applies for either gender.

5. Offer your hand and give a firm handshake. Sometimes, people who don't like to shake hands will not meet yours. Don't think anything of it if they don't, this is just their preference. And particularly don't say something cute or funny.

I have seen enough essential similarities between such diverse countries as Russia, Korea (ten years ago when it was still an emerging market country), Vietnam, and even Gambia and Papua New Guinea, to believe certain core generalizations hold true for all or nearly all emerging market nations. Just as a good concept, a strong market, and good execution are necessary in all countries, so too are these four simple principles keys to success in emerging market nations.

PRINCIPLE ONE: A Good Partner is sine qua non of Success.

The quality of local partner is indispensable element for emerging market success. So where do you begin?

Start with due diligence. Before doing business with anyone, you must first determine what you need from your partner in particular country in which you will be conducting business. In my experience, foreign companies need a local partner who is effective, cooperative, and (most important of all) trustworthy.

Emerging market countries almost always have less-than-fully-formed legal systems. Their laws are oftentimes slanted towards government and away from free markets. Their courts are slow and often corrupt. Form takes precedence over substance in ways completely unfamiliar to Westerners. One small technical miscue on your part might eliminate your right to sue your partner for having stolen all of your money. It might even lead to you and your company being kicked out of country, while your assets remain.

Of course you should do your best to avoid technical miscues, but better strategy is to pick your partner well.

So what should you look for in a local partner? Political connections? Yes and no:

Yes, because you probably will need someone with sufficient dexterity to maneuver around often-suffocating business laws and a bureaucracy that may try to cut in on your business at every turn. No, if you think that is all you will need. Just as in West, politically connected are usually more a "government type" than a business person. Partnering with someone in an emerging country with whom you would never consider partnering back home is a mistake. Political clout in emerging market countries is often more effective for avoiding legal responsibility for something like a debt than it is in generating business revenues. I have seen countless instances where a foreign company partners with someone because he "is tight with governor," only to see business crushed by new governor as part of his house cleaning. The best partner is politically connected only to extent necessary for business success.

Your partner's character and reputation are your protection in countries where court system is not. Do not partner in any sense of that term without having conducted thorough due diligence.

Get to know your potential partner. If he is legitimate and wants to work with you for long term, he will expect you to want to get to know him better and think nothing of your wanting multiple meetings before signing any deal.